Dying
by BeyondBloodBath
Summary: Jake lays dying in the backseat while they rush to get help, will he survive or will his injury be too much for him?


**Disclaimer- sadly the characters aren't mine, I'm just borrowing them for a while.**

**Author's note: this is my first Jericho fic and only my second fic ever so please be nice ;p**

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Jake coughed slightly as he felt the warm, coppery tasting liquid tickle from with mouth, so this was it he thought as the pain gave way to numbness, this is how I'm going to die. He was laying in the backseat of his car, Heather pressing down on his side, begging him to stay with her, Eric driving like a maniac, frequently glancing back at them, telling him to hold on and asking Heather how he was doing.

He cursed himself for being so stupid, he couldn't believe that he let his guard down, especially after all the stuff he warned the others about. He knew how people could act when the foundations of their life had crumbled, hell he had seen it almost every day when he was driving the truck in Iraq, he saw good, rational people turn into seemingly merciless killers, killing anyone they perceived as a threat.

It started three days ago, the towns food stocks had finally started to dwindle and it was decided to send three search parties out. They would each search a different direction and bring back any food they found. There were three members per team, enough that there would be help if someone was injured and not enough that the town would be vulnerable if they did not come back.

I was with Eric and heather, I didn't want her to come, to witness the horrors that I knew would be out there, but she wouldn't take no for an answer.

We arrived in a city a few hours north-east of Jericho, rubble and the odd corpse littered the street. I warned Eric not to stop, no matter what he saw, until we found somewhere that looked as though there was food.

We came to an old storage warehouse, we left the car hidden in a shadowed alley way to the rear of the warehouse and cautiously entered the building. We found about a hundred or so boxes of food, Eric and heather gazed at the boxes with something akin to awe, believing that we had found enough food for the town. I was more worried about the fact that someone might know that it was here and might not like the idea of us taking it.

I told heather to stand guard while Eric and me loaded some of the boxes into the car, and to continually scan the area for anything and warned Eric to keep an I out as well. we managed to fill the car with as many boxes as possible without incident, I guess that gave me a small sense of security, I had told Heather and Eric to wait in the car as I tried to make it look like we were never there.

It was a fraction of a second that was all it took, as I closed the door I lowered my weapon, just for a second. That was when the shot rang out. I felt burning hot pain explode in my side, as I collapsed on my left side, I tried to stay conscience but I found it harder and harder to keep my eyes open. The last thing I heard before I gave in to the darkness was Heater shouting my name from the car.

I woke up later in the backseat of the car, now all I have to do is stay awake, I know I have to, but I'm finding it increasingly difficult to, the numbness has turned into iciness and my eyes keep closing. I know I'm not going to make it, I could already feel the pull to let go. I closed my eyes, just for a second, and the next thing I knew heather was slapping my face, screaming at me to wake up. I forced my eyes open to see her tear streaked face, I saw the relief in her eyes as she looked into mine. "that's it Jake, stay awake, we're almost there."

What? That can't be right. Jericho's hours away, we shouldn't be anywhere near it, even with Eric's driving… unless I was out longer than I thought, I cough again and more blood spills from my lips, I close my eyes again and this time I know they won't open again. I hear heather begging me to open my eyes, to stay with them but I can't, I slowly let my body relax as my mind drifts into darkness.

I never saw Heather start crying, or hear Eric telling me to hold on, didn't know we arrived in Jericho two minutes later, that I was rushed into the hospital where they had to restart my heart twice before I was stabilized.

I'm just glad that it happened.

Loved it? Hated it? Give a review and tell me, I promise I won't bite… much.


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